various core first amendment principles. quickly, i am amazed that the liberal side. . trolled by exxon mobil, cannot come to the fact that their interests are not being served by the major corporations. the people in their -- you people out there in liberal and, if you are not idiots. you have to think for yourself. guest: first of all, i never said that money determines elections. but if you don't think that money affects elections and is an important ingredient, you or to innocent to be let out of the house by yourself. the reason why politicians spent hours every day raising money is hours every day raising money is because ehicle for speech. used up a wall of separation between corporate money and

public elections. -- we used to have a wall of separation between corporate and public collections. the supreme court just before the wall down. we need to restore democratic sovereignty, we the people. we are drifting to something like we the corporations now. it is the development of a corporate face that is dangerous in terms of the ability of people to govern ourselves, when you have corporations that are able to drown out the speech of ordinary people. host: i will try to give one last phone call. let me give a websites outpost steve hoe. brookside just came out yesterday? -- your website just came out yesterday? guest: to pass a constitutional amendment. host: last phone call. caller: this is a boon to telecommunications company who

have been failing to inform the american people. if these corporations are responsible for capital crimes, why is there not a death penalty for these "illegal persons close what? we have seen the creative accounting of corporate america in the last few years. it's not that hard for a few slime bags in a national corporation to shift things around and allow chinese bankers to influence politicians who, say, support human rights in china and influence the u.s. treasury -- host: if i could have you both give a brief final comments. guest: with regard to the foreign and national problem that you keep running out, if congress wants to pass a laws to make it more difficult for creative accounting, and nothing prevents it from doing so. jamin talks about the wall of

separation. the wall of separation is between government and free speech. that is what the american system is about. government does not decide who speaks when and how frequently. let me give a couple of examples. the supreme court noted that if it did not rule the way did whatyesterday, the aclu. the website telling the public to vote for president of candidate because the candidate event free-speech. the nra publishes a book or urging the public to vote for a challenger because the incumbent senator supports a handgun ban. these would be felonies had the supreme court not ruled the way it did yesterday morning. guest: the american people are not dumb to read this in justices who are usually skeptical of -- are not dumb.

at the same justices who are usually skeptical of first amendment rights now want to describe themselves as heroes of the first amendment because the defend fortune 500 company is spending hundreds of millions of dollars telling us who to vote for could we need to past anti-paid to play legislation saying that if you get involved in federal contracts, you do not have any right to be involved in our elections. we need state legislatures saying that no corporation should be spending money without a vote of shareholders at first but we need a mass of americans demanding a constitutional amendment defending political expression for people and asking cf >>ç you can watch this program ok=ñagainç[?çkçsw6i]çç at c. just clickç on america and the

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we votedçç to have them appea. xdñrcountless mediaç reports i]identified them as a couple tt attended the white house state dinner without appearingç2on e invited guest list. qççinç multipleç public app, they haveç saidç thatw3 they e able to enter the whiteç houseq without triggering the suspicion of officersq. this committee chargedxdç with deciding how to ordinary people were able to defeat the security system.

despite wideq exposure in the media, they steadfastly refused toç speakçç informally or foy with this committejd, although they havei]ç decided to appear ççtoday. çwe have been told that they wl invoke the fifth amendment protectionsym. çwe respect theç constitutiond w3therefore the decision? çñrçmyçmyokçthose offers art satisfactory. these lawyers were not at the state dinner and have no firsthand knowledge of the facts. in fact, but theirç statements can onlybzç be second and representations'. we believe that they have relevant in permission ççregardless of what fatew3çs

president must be taken seriously. çi lookç forward to the testiy çpresented here today. the chair now recognizes the kç yorkçñr for an opening statement. çpresident of the united states okçthere areçç potential cons for the future of the white house. çthe first hearingçt(çym had: coming to testify. qi give them credit for coming hereç andçç telling us what unfolded. çi]çóçeven more than that, ie

thatç the white house still refuses to provide her as a witnessç and refuses toi] gives any information whatsoever. i respectfullyqqç disagreeççe v:secretç service except its responsibility. thelq7çç part of the white houc ççó7!çñrt(çi]çw3çthe forie secret service wasuw3 told noto be at the gateç -- i amçóm]v:, where the secret service was yçt(zvcalledç that the white e protocol office would not beç t mythe':utç with them and woulç notñrçw3 be there to dos3ç ap check. çfor whatevernbç reason, we dt knowçw3çç obviously, -- we dt know.

changing the policy could have had terrible consequences. i do not know what they will not lead as a rogers, a peer. -- let miss rogers, pierre. -- let miss rogers come up here. we do know that a memo was sent out reversing the policy which had been started by ms. rogers. those of us that attended the christmas event saw up there was a lot of people everywhere. it originated with the white house. not to cooperate with our committee is just wrong. it sends the wrong tone and it is inexcusable. i believe that they are certainly stonewalling in this

instance. the witnesses have said that they will not testify. to be honest, i would have objected to going into executive session. they're not going to have state information or state secrets. whatever they do say should be in an open hearing. i would certainly agree to having an executive session with miss rogers or ron emanuel to explain what they did and why they did it and what the basis for it was. why, after 50 or 20 years of one policy was suddenly changed for this? that is the underlying issue which is not being addressed. i know that we can ask questions and they will take the fifth amendment. that continues disarrayed.

so long as the rogers -- so long as miss rogers does this, they should be attending to secure the president of the united states. this implies a refusal to cooperate. i believe that the policy is wrong. we should not allow it. it is a lot easier today.

if i ever get in trouble, i hope i have him as a lawyer, this is other than going through the motions. i just hope that this committee and the public does not believe that we have effectively completed our investigation because we have not. ms. rodgers can come up here in this investigation is open. i yelled back. opening statements to be submitted for the record. i now welcome our witnesses today. as you know, the witnesses are

private citizens from the commonwealth of virginia and attended the white house state dinner on november 24. though they were not issued invitations, they are here to provide their account of the ovens of that nine i now ask that you summarize your joint statement for five minutes. >> >> thank you, mr. chairman. i have an opening statement. for the hon. member's of the committee on home and security. we ask that our attorneys reach out to the committee, meet with various staff members and provide them with key information to assist the committee and the review on relevant home and security issues. we understand that our attorneys met with the staff and provided

them with phone records, emails and other relevant documentary evidence. we have continued to provide relevant evidence and to be as helpful as we can. we understand that, we decline to answer any answers. we find it unfortunate that the committee required us to appear to invoke our fifth amendment rights and remain silent, even though it is against death ethical rules of the d.c. board to do so. indeed, this was chastised another hearing. we reiterate that under advice of counsel, we invoke our right to remain silent and we will decline to answer any questions around the events of december

24, 2009. we appreciate the offer to present ourselves for questioning in executive session and out of public spectrum. we understand that to do so would afford us no legal protection and it would not have been fair to accept the offer knowing that we would still invoke the right to remain silent. our council offered to the committee an opportunity to provide further information and make a full testimony with relevant information. that office -- that offer was declined. we again offered the opportunity to meet with the members of the committee and insist on home and security issues. my wife and i say that we are strong supporters of the men and women in uniform. we have great respect for the presidency. there is a tradition of excellence and the mission and

nothing that transpired on september 24 that should take away from that. thank you, very much. >> thank you for your testimony. i remind each member that he or she will have five minutes to question the panel. i will now recognize myself for the first set of questions. this is to either one of you. did you attend the white house dinner held on november to fourth, 2009 as part of a reality tv show? -- november 24, 2009 as part of a reality tv show? >> mr. chairman, i am under a non disclosure agreement and should not disclosediscuss issus

relating to a television matter. >> that is not the answer. let me give you another chance. >> on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent. >> and you have that absolute right. did you receive the invitation in the mail to attend the white house state dinner? >> mr. chairman to, on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent. >> >> did you interact with officers at each checkpoint? >> mr. chairman, on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent and declined to answer. >> wereçç youç on theç secut ati]u! the first checkpoint?

>> on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent and declined to answer your question. >> did the officer at the first checkpoint verify your names on a security list? >> mr. chairman, on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent and declined to answer your question. >> what form of identification did you give an officer for their for constant -- have for identification. >> on advice of counsel, i reserve my right to remain silent and declined to answer your question. -- and declined to answer your question. -- and decline to answer your question. >> thank you very much. it is clear the you are

absolutely within your right to assert your constitutional rights to do so. i will now yield five minutes to the gentleman from new york. >> mr. chairman, i see no reason to ask any further questions. >i yield to the enjoyment from indiana. i can't ask the questions of the people who made the decisions. i think today's procedure is a charade. >> does the gentleman yield back? what i yield to the gentleman of california. >> mr. chairman, i purposely understand that your statement that our witnesses are well within their rights to cite their constitutional right, and

that is true. in a normal circumstance, i would object to was even calling them hereç -- to us even callig circumstance in which we are talking about the security of the presidmnu of unitedç state. as he said just last week, we are in a war. w3because we are in a war, we he to take responsibilityç çseriously, that includes the white houseçbsy and the secrt service and everybody in the white house including the social secretary. it is almost as if we have given the social secretary greater protection on policy matters. i agree with your decision to call themç forwardççççççe

respect,çt(xdçñri]çó but, to n t(conductç which undercuts the seriousness of our effort to protect ourppresident and to protect vital elements of this government as some sort of reality show or personal pique or what ever you did is extraordinary behavior to the seriousness that are before us today. you say in your lab statement that you have great respect for statesg#?ndç secret service. çççyou did not show that. ççççqyou say thatxd you areg

us from any threat tow3óy! this nation. to those who think it isi] not serious is a front to those w3individualsxdw3ç. your protection under the constitution of the united çst. çyou haveç shownç thaf youtqe name of men and women inzv uniform who were protectinw ,!ì+ nationçt(ok and suggest that wu doçi]ç remain silent until i heard that last paragraph of your statement. but to suggest that somehow what

you're doing shows support for our men and women is an abomination. the constitution protects fools. the constitution protects stupidity. the constitution protects errant thought. thank god it does. i yield back. >> the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> thank you, mr. chairman for yielding. i sat here at this hearing a few weeks ago in december when i saw that mr. sullivan stand here and basically accept responsibility for everything that happened on that evening. at the time, i said i expect the secret service to take a bullet. i don't expect the secret service to take a bullet for the president's staff. we are unfortunate that a good man like director sullivan who

has had to suffer so much public humiliation and embarrassments over this event all because of your actions on that day and i wasn't going to say anything either but the fact that director sullivan had to take all that grief from us and so much from the public was unfortunate and i hold you responsible for it and i yield back. >> the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlelady from district of columbia, ms. norton, for five minutes. >> i thank you, mr. chairman. i thank you for going forward with your constitutional duty during an investigation of homeland security. i do want to say that there are two constitutional provisions involved in this hearing. one is the constitutional provision known as separation of powers where the president does not and endlessly did not, has

not endlessly on most occasions have his personal staff come to the congress. yet there is yet another provision, one that i respect profoundly, that is the fifth amendment, a precious bill of rights amendment. i do want to say, mr. chairman, that no one has a right to invoke the fifth amendment by proxy through their lawyer or by press release other in secret. so what you did, mr. chairman, you were duty-bound to do. this couple is being investigated by federal authorities on criminal counts, including the u.s. attorney for the district of columbia. therefore, they have every right to invoke their fifth amendment rights not to incriminate

themselves. and i want to respect that right and ask no questions of them. >> thank you very much. the gentleman from indiana, mr. souder, for five minutes. the gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee. >> thank you very much, and i might add my preeshes as well for your upholding your duty as the chairman of the homeland security committee. over the last couple of months we can see that the focus of the nation beyond personal economic concerns is to ensure the security of the homeland. over the last couple of months this committee and the crisis of homeland security has been on the peoples' minds. from the incident that involved tragically a military captain in fort hood, texas to the incident that occurred on christmas day,

we know that the security of the homeland is not a joke. to the salahis let me say in all respect, the security of the president of the president of the united states is not a joke. your actions or alleged actions on that fateful night made a mock erie of this country, our security and your commitment to this nation and a mock erie to any representation that you are pates of this country. iminsensed for your dignity for i will never challenge that, but for individuals who can be so reckless to believe they could enter on property of the united states hosting a dignitary from a foreign nation of whom we owe an obligation to secure, the vice president of the united states and the president of the united states with reckless disregard for the perception and the reality of what would be seen as a breach in security for

terrorists of all walks of life to be able to make the nb byg webster didççñr not receive a inside. your name's did not appear on for an invitation wasç denied r rebuffed. çcan you tell me what more you ¿çç in order to understt you were not invited? t(çççóçç>> it byç respectfy

right to remain silent and not answerç your question. >> after being told that you would not receive an invitation, - plotting and discuss a scheme dressing up. this is not the first time as i understand it that you were considered party crashers. this time you provided false information to a government agent secret service officer who borrow the responsibility of protecting the safety of the safety of the united states. i respect the fact that you respect the secret service. my question is, you did this to forward your own goal. did you falsely provide agents to secret service agents. >> on the advice of counsel i decline to answer your question. >> you knowingly misrepresented your status as invited guess and you tricked them into pleefing you were guests gaining access.

makes you trespassers in furtherance of your initial crime in tricking a government agent. after scheming your way into the event you socialized with the president, vice president and various invited guests. then posed for photographs on your facebook page for the world to see. you could have endangered the safety and life of the president of the united states, vice president of the united states and the visiting dignitary. my question to you is did you have any consideration for the beach of security that you were engaged in at that time. >> i respectfully assert my rights to remain silent. >> let me offer to say that thrur two criminal actions under 18 u.s.c. 1, the intentional misrepresentation to a federal agent which under the present allegations suggests occurred and the intention national

trespass on federal real property which apparently it seems to be. to the salahis we are pleased you are here today. i don't believe it is a mock erie or without purpose. i'm saddened that we have to say to the american public there are those who aren't concerned about the security of the homeland. i thank you, mr. chairman. and i yield back. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from alabama, mr. rogers. >> i yield my time to mr. mccaul. >> this was the first white house state dinner of this administration with a dignitary head of state from india who obviously is a target neighboring to pakistan where the terroristsr with the president of the united states who we know is a target as well. this is a very serious matter and advancing this reality tv show agenda and exposing at the

same time the vulnerability in our security and in the white house. while i appreciate the two of you showing up today and exercising your constitutional rights, it's important we examine the white house's role in this and what role the social secretary played or didn't play in allowing you access into the white house to get right up to the president of the united states. now in this case, obviously nothing happened but we were lucky. what if we aren't so lucky next time. i want to ask you a couple of questions. were you invited to the state dinner? >> on the advice of counsel, i respectfully assert my rights to remain silent and decline to answer. >> did you submit names and social security numbers before going to the white house dinner? >> on advice of counsel, i

respectfully assert my right to answer your question. >> were you waved in by an official from the white house to get into the state dinner? >> on advice of counsel i remain my right to decline to answer the question. >> i echo the sentments of my colleague from colleague that this is a disgrace to the secret service. we are? a time of war. you say you support the troops, but they are in harm's way protecting us here at home. and we're going to continue to investigate this matter. with that, i yield back. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania for five minutes. >> you know this has become a real distraction side show in this -- in the history of this

country. and i spoke it's what happens when we need to pay closer attention to things and not focus so much on the people among us and that's what is going on. there are three sides to this story. mr. sullivan came and addressed his side. this is another side with no answers and we aren't going to get any answers obviously, but i agree, i agree with mr. king and my republican colleagues that i think ms. rogers or someone from the white house needs to come and tell the third side and if so doing we can understand what happened and to protect the president. and i want to extend my invitation as the chairman of the oversight subcommittee to the white house to come and have a chat with us. i think that makes a lot of sense. now as far as the salahis go,

time is the only thing that we have of value here. and i can't believe how much you are wasting it and the taxpayers' dollars. it's incredible. i'm not going to answer the question because you aren't going to give me an answer. if you are patriotic and americans and truly love this country, think about your actions. that's all i will tell you. i yield back. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas or do you want to pass on your time? the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. deal for five minutes. >> i said most of what i wanted to say. there are very real threats to this nation and we are expending extraordinary amount of resources to mitigate those threats and we know about the

christmas day attack and there are other attempts that have occurred in this country that we are all all too familiar with and the fanth that we are expending so much of our time and valuable resources dealing with this shameful stunt i think is truly unfortunate and i want to restate one thing. director sullivan, it still pains me to see me sitting here septembering responsibility and there are a lot of good people in the secret service and a mistake was made and reputations have been hurt because of this event, career people trying to do their best trying to keep this nation best and here we are today to deal with this issue in this manner. so i have no questions, mr. chairman, because obviously it would be a fruitless effort to ask any questions because we wouldn't get any responses. i want to restate what mr. king has said, we want to have the white house social office here to explain their role in this situation. we need to know what they did

and why they did what they did and again perhaps take some of the heat off the secret service and director sullivan who stood up and accepted the responsibility for the entire event. with that, i yield back. >> the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. richardson. >> we haven't heard anything from mrs. salahi. have you ever attended an event at the white house? >> on advice of counsel, i respectfully assert my right tory main silent and answer your question. >> were you advised to attend an event at the white house, one of which is needing approval to attend? >> i assert my right to remain silent and decline to answer your question. >> did you receive the information confirming your approval to attend the event and from whom?

>> i assert my right to remain silent and decline to answer your question. >> have you not reserved your right and spoken to meet any media outlets about your attendance at the white house? >> i respectfully assert my right to remain silent and decline to answer your question. >> when you were advised your name was not on the list why did you continue to attempt to enter when you knew you did not have final confirmation? >> on advice of counsel i assert my right not to answer your question. >> when the criminal process is evaluated and concluded, will you return to this committee and testify and tell us exactly how you entered the white house? >> yes. >> thank you very much. the chair recognizes ,

congressman. >> you put this country in an incredible position by crashing that state dinner. terrorists are out there. and they are trying to hurt us. we saw that on christmas day. they are watching, looking, looking for vulnerabilities in our security system and you presented them with a textbook of how to get access to the president, vice president, foreign minister, the prime minister of india. again, i can't tell you how much you have hurt our country and what you have done to expose us to the dangers that we are facing from the terrorists. they are still out there. we saw that in my home state of texas. saw that on christmas day and again by your actions, you have

given a road map that shows the vulnerabilities that you can exploit and done incredible damage to our country. and that's all i got to say. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell. >> i want to break through here and get at the basic issue if i may. who would have thought that two normal-looking people -- look at them today -- dressed to the t, these beautiful people would have broken through in some manner, shape or form the home of the president of the united states. i want to mention, mr. chairman,

to all the proponents of racial and ethnic profiling, that this case involving these two individuals, the salahis, just goes to show that while you're looking for a certain kind of person fitting a certain profile, you're going to miss the real targets. behavioral profiling is in order . and these two people are living proof. so i don't respect your right to take the fifth amendment. not at all. because it didn't have to be the president of the united states of the it could have been somebody else. it could have been someone not as important of the -- of the president of the united states. did you wear a tuxedo that night? are you going to take the fifth? >> i respectfully assert my

rights -- >> were you there? >> on advice of counsel -- >> are you here right now, mr. salahi? you got to get an answer from your attorney on that? your attorney bobbed his head up and down when my good friend from pennsylvania was discussing the possibilities that someone from the white house should be here also here testifying. you can do it all you want. you aren't going to take the heat of your clients. no one's going to take the fall for them. there may have been something wrong going on and maybe the white house made a mistake, but they're not here to plead the fifth. >> mr. pascrell -- >> i'll continue. mr. and mrs. salahi, i believe the entire committee wsh we can

move from the fake natur and concentrate on the security breach, itself. (ç to folke froma pattersonç newç jerseyh those hats on top of your head, i wonder if you would have those hats on top of your head, i wonder if you would have t(asç you swished through in ft of the cameras. qççyour presence is required o that you can answerç the events of that night. this committee gave you every opportunity to speak behind closed doors, did it not? did it not? xdç>> w3çyou did, but you did t

okoffer any legal protection. you wanted us to speak, verses are attorneys. >> çwithout any legal protecti. >> and yet, you continue to evade any opportunity to present w3your side of the story. ç present your side of the story. the fact that you now appear here and are unwilling to speak to any details and i associate myself with the words of mr. lungren who put it very plainly, simple and to the point the fact of the matter is you used the secret service to say so many nice things about them and what you have done is defy the will of authority. this whole episode has been a stunt and a charade on your part to gain attention and not right so desperately you speak. i want to turn my attention away from you because i don't believe

that you have anything to offer this committee and it is my hope that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. the issue we should be concentrating on is the failures in security. we do not know -- we now know there was at least one other uninvited guest that made it into the white house that night. there was another person. the fact that was never disclosed by the secret service during our first hearing. that individual was carl oost allen. >> the gentleman's time has expired. for the record, let me indicate that we have sent a request -- we have sent a -- we

are getting feedback from the mic. [inaudible] >> somehow we are having technical problems. the chair recognizes mr. austria for five minutes. >> let me say i will keep my comments brief. i concur with what has been said. this homeland security committee, as we try to focus on homeland security issues that are important to this nation. let me just also re-emphasize what has been said on this side of the aisle. the u.s. secret service has the

responsibility to physically screen individuals, its officers have no role in determining whether someone has been inappropriately excluded from or included on that guest list. and i think if we want to get to the bottom of what has been raised in questions, we need to get cooperation from the white house. the fact that the white house social secretary, ms. rogers, declined to testify in front of this committee leaves the committee out there unanswered as to how we can correct this problem and we need to pursue that and that issue isn't going to go away. and the answers we are getting from our witnesses, i don't think we are going to get additional information. with that, mr. chairman, i don't know if any of our members want to use my time. i would be glad to yield to them, if not, i will yield back the balance of my time. >> i would like to just remind

the members that when mr. sullivan was here, he indicated that his office, the secret service had sole responsibility for the vetting and the security of whatever names that were provided to them and that the witnesses here, their name was not on the list according to director sullivan's testimony. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from connecticut. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. and mrs. salahi, i have been deeply ambivolent about these proceedings, i almost voted against the subpoena that brought you here today and i would not have asked the question but because of your ill-advised appeal to patriotism. we have spent 45 minutes and it would have been devoted to the

unemployment of this country or the threats we face around the world. but you chose to appeal to patriotism. so i want to talk for a second about the fifth amendment right that you assert here today, which your appeal to patriotism would indicate that you put some value on. you have the absolute right to do so, but let's be very clear. you have no obligation to do so. you choose to assert your rights under the united states constitution. just as director sullivan when he sat in that seat made a choice. he could have engaged in the age-old celebrated washington game of finger pointing and the blame game of c.y.a., but he chose to be a man of honor and to take responsibility and to take some professional risk to put himself in professional

jeopardy. i understand what you are doing and i celebrate your right to do it but let's be clear about the choice you are making. you are making a choice to limit your legal jeopardy which your attorney has rightly advised you to do but you are taking that route rather than help us understand what for its silliness and absurdity was a real threat to the security of the united states. you could choose not to assert your rights against self-inkrim nation or choose to and let's be clear. you are choosing to limit your legal jeopardy under a right we all celebrate and appreciate as opposed to assist in the open and fair airing of some things that could conceivably save the life of the president of the united states. my question has nothing to do with the events of november 24

and i give you a.m.le time to consult with your attorney in answering this question, given the nature of the choice that you are making today, would you not reconsider and consider airing the information that you have to assist this nation in the protection of the president of the united states rather than asserting your rights under the united states constitution? >> through our counsel, we are ready to tell you all the details, but through only our counsel. but if you want to know the details, they are ready to tell you. they're ready, but it's not going to come from our voice but from our counsel. but they're ready to tell you. >> mrs. salahi, would you at this point in time reconsider your choice to testify personally or will you continue to assert your rights under the constitution?

>> the advice of whatever counsel suggests for me. >> i have no further questions. i yield back my time. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. broun. >> it is right for us to look into the security breach. the protection of the leaders of this country is absolutely critical for the security that they must have. it is imperative that this committee look into the security overall of this nation, the salahis, undocumented attendees at a christmas party or state dinner and that is a tremendous breach of security that personally i believe the process was put in place by the white house and ms. rogers, to make an

environment where the salahis could take advantage. and they took advantage of that process that ms. rogers put in place and the white house put in place. this committee voted pretty much on partisan lines to protect ms. rogers. and i find that did he test tabble. i want to associate myself with mr. king and what he said. but the salahis took advantage of a environment that the white house themselves in my opinion created. they were undocumented attendees. we have a lot of undocumented attendees in this country that are also security risks. we aren't dealing with illegal aliens in this country but we must because it is of vital interest to this country. i appeal to my colleagues on the

democratic side. let's stop protecting these i will legal aliens in this country and let's be serious about national security and go forward in a manner that not only will protect the president and all the leaders of this country but will protect this nation against attacks, not just attacks by going to a state dinner, which is a security breach and a very egregious one. but we have have many at our borders every day that we must look into, we must attend to because the security of our nation depends upon it. i yield back, mr. chairman. >> the chair recognizes mr. cleaver for five minutes. >> i would like to associate myself with the earlier comments of the the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell, with regard to racial and ethnic profiling and i have no

questions of these great americans. >> the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. lungren. the chair recognizes ms. titus for five minutes. >> i understand that the salahis were out in my district this past week at celebrity host at a nightclub in sees ars palace and while you were there, i hope you were having fun, you were asked by the press what really happened and you responded, dig deeper. while this committee is trying to dig deeper in hopes of strengthening our security, you have chosen not to assist us and i think that is very unfortunate. you have a rereal opportunity to help us with important oversight of our secret service and our ability to secure our homeland

and yet you have choicen not to. your activities have activities have exposed a real flaw and i wish your legal counsel had said yes, let's try to fix these problems and make it better. i'll make one more attempt, i would just ask you, are you at all concerned that your actions might inspire other people, either friendly or celebrity seekers or terrorists to try and crash other white house events? >> on advice of counsel, i respectfully decline to answer my question. >> did you have a good time in las vegas and did you notice at the pier, people had to stand in line and pay to get in and don't allow party crashers there? >> pursuant to section one of your ovene subpoena, i'm only compelled to answer to questions surrounding the white house

state dinner on november 24. based on the fact that the question doesn't have to do with the circumstances surroundings these events, i respectfully decline to answer your questions. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, bilirakis. >> i won't ask any questions because we aren't going to get any answers. i would like to associate myself with the comments about the need to invite the white house about this serious security breach and i yield back. >> ms. kirkpatrick for five minutes. >> i'm disappointed that you did not appear before us when you were invited december 3. the importance of that hearing was for us to understand what was for us to understand what happened so we could quickly act --oki] appearing two months aftr this incident is not acceptable.

we had a very real threat to our citizens and to this nation and toç our president. it is the responsibility as a citizen to be vigilant and to reporti] any breaches that we se in our security system that 3wcouldmy[ç cause people tofì+ harm's way. w3as a formerç prosecutor, i respect your right to assert çi do have questions that i hoe and wish could have been answered today, but iç will submit;ç them to the committeer thank you. ççv:çñooçbç>> thankç you,. i was listening to my colleague from new jersey. they may be beautiful on the outside, but as we all went for the martinçñr luther king day,i

remember that when het( said people will beçç judged by the ççzvçcontent of their characd that is the wayi]ç that they wl ez what they're doing here today. qxdççmr.w3 chairman, i have te privilege -- çt( . . facing our nation. we have 15% unemployment in our state and on top of all of the heartbreak that is happening in my beautiful state, then on christmas day, we had this terrorist attempt over the skies of detroit where the terrorists have now seen the battleground as an assem met try call way and that was in seat 19-a over the skies of detroit. i knew people on that flight and if that flight would have exploded over my area there,

would have spent my time going to an awful lot of funerals. so it is almost surreal for me to be sitting here today looking at people who wanted to get on some tv show called "the desperate housewives of washington, d.c." in the light and challenges that we face and i wish this congress was taking up. at that, mr. chairman, i would like to yield the balance of my time to mr. souder. >> part of this concern with this process and we have held many hearings where people have taken the fifth, we don't isolate one individual or two individuals in the course of a case when there is an ongoing case. we get them together and do it together or we would have done it at the first hearing or waited until we had some more information. the chairman referred to that third person. where is bravo? where is the company that did

the contract that apparently may have filmed them getting their hair done, getting their clothes ready and been part of this process? we have talked to nbc. why aren't they here today with any video and other individuals who may have been implicated and maybe some of them wouldn't get fifth amendment protection, why are we just having one couple that clearly is the firestorm center clearly put our nation and everything we have heard today potentially at risk by exposing things, by showing weaknesses and behaved un patriotly? why if we're after truth why didn't we do this all together and is bravo coming and nbc coming and other potential witnesses as well if this was filmed in advance and there was cooperation in the media to do a scam on the united states government, we need to do more

than just pick two individuals who were participants? mr. chairman, are we going after any of them, subpoenaing them? >> just for the record, majority and minority staff has already met with bravo, nbc, all those, everyone has indicated that they would be perfectly willing to provide us any and all tapes, copies of documents relative to this investigation. >> are we planning to show the tape or any of that or have a discussion with other members, because this has been interesting of them taking the fifth and showing the individuals and they don't want to share. but obviously we have information that would be interest to the public much more than taking the fifth. are we going to do this in public? >> i think the question is relative to the two witnesses here today. they are the persons who

perpetrated the breach. the other individuals, nbc, bravo, others, have provided tapes and other information. we would be more than happy from a committee perspective to make the request that they provide it and any member of the committee at their leisure or whatever can review those tapes. >> reclaiming my time. i don't mind them being embarrassed even though i have concerns about the hearing. the questions that were asked today we already know. if we have the tape of what they look like, where they went by, what they showed, it would have been relevant to show that in this hearing since members were asking questions about information we already have. >> we don't have the tapes. they have been offered. we have met with all those studios and they have offered

them. and i will be more than happy to request them. as you know, the salahis have been very up front in their interviews on the different networks so it's no secret what has been said. >> mr. chairman, can i ask a question? >> sure. >> why, if they offer the tapes and some of the answers to questions we are asking today are on the tape, why don't we look at the tape before we ask them snf in other words, some of the questions are asking, how did you get by, what did you show and so on, they are presumably on the tapes. why couldn't we look at the tapes? >> the information and questions we asked are not on the tapes. clearly we will have to have the witnesses for that. >> mr. chairman, would you yield? >> the gentleman's time has expired. ms. kilroy for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman, i share many of the sentiments

that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have stated here this morning with respect to these witnesses. but i would like to ask these witnesses a few questions despite their apparent unwillingness to cooperate. did you have a public relations agent with respect to any reality or unscripted tv show that you have been involved with in anyway? >> pursuant to section one of your subpoena, i'm only come peeled to answer surrounding the circumstances of the state dinner on november 24. the question is not relevant to those events, i respectfully decline to answer those questions. >> did you have a public relations agent with respect to any of the actions regarding the preparation or attendance, your attempt to get a ticket to the november 24, 2009 state dinner. >> i respectfully assert my

rights to decline answer. >> you think the public relations agent invokes you the right to self-inkrim nation. >> i decline to answer your question. >> do you have a talent agent with respect to your attempt to get a ticket at the state dinner? >> i respectfully assert my right to decline to answer your question. >> has anyone else paid for your makeup or clothes that you wore to the state dinner on november 24, 2009? >> on advice of counsel, i assert my right to decline to answer your question. >> it would be self-inkrim in a tower to answer who paid for the clothes you wore to the state dinner? >> on advice of dinner i assert my right to remain silent and

decline to answer your question. . >> were you paid for the activities of november 24 >> on advice of council, he decline to answer your >> was the plan to garner yourselves notoriety with respect to "the housewives of washington, d.c." reality show? >> on advice of council i insert my rights and decline to answer your question. >> do you feel any regret going to the white house dinner and the resulting problems it has caused the white house and others? >> on advice of council i respectfully assert my rights

to remain silent and respectfully remain silent. >> i imply from your actions that today you don't feel any regret for any of the problems that you have caused. that's what i would surmise from that. if your intent was simply to attend the white house steak dinner at the invitation of someone at the pentagon or other agency of the united states government and that you claim this is a misunderstanding or miscommunication, are you willing to forego any financial gain that may arise due to this incident including paid appearances, books, article fees or television opportunities such as any reality tv shows? bees, or television opportunities such as any reality tv shows? >> i am only compelled to respond to questions are on the circumstances. i respectfully decline that answer your question.

>> i think that these witnesses have a right to invoke the fifth amendment against self- incrimination when it relates to criminal activity. something that would incriminate them in a criminal proceeding. i also think that they me be offering the fifth amendment question that do not so involved such jeopardy. i ask that we consider what response we should have to these witnesses. thank you mr. chairman. >> thank you very much. i thank the witnesses for their testimony and the members for their questions p. i would remind the witnesses that the member of the committee may have additional questions for you and we will ask you to respond expeditiously in writing to those questions. just for the committee members,

we have another item to take up as soon as the hearing is adjourned. v:

>> still to come on c-span, the remarks from first lady michelle obama on preventing childhood obesity. and later state of the state addresses from mark sanford and missouri governor jay nixon. >> congress returned to session this week.

the house returns on tuesday to spend its short workweek on two lands bills. the first would create a national historic site in the virgin islands and the second continues operations of facilities in an idaho wilderness area. the house plans to be out of session thursday and friday so republican members can attend their annual retreat in baltimore. live house coverage is on c-span. and the senate gavels back in on monday to continue work on legislation that raises the federal debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion. we expect debate on both amendments and a final passage vote could happen before the end of the week. see the senate live on c-span 2. >> each year the washington center brings thousands of students to washington, d.c. to experience the workings of our government firsthand. this weekend they'll discuss politics, government, and their futures, "q&a" sunday night at 8:00 on c-span. >> from first lady michelle

obama on preventing childhood obesity and spoke earlier at the annual meeting on the u.s. conference of mayors. this is about 25 minutes. >> good afternoon, everyone. hello. i'm elizabeth couch, mayor of the city of burnsville and president of the u.s. conference of mayors. i would like to introduce -- [applause] >> thank you. i would like to now introduce the conference leadership here with me on is past president, jerry abramson. where is jerry? richard daley of chicago.

doug palmer of trenton. [applause] >> don pasqualik of akron. joe reilly of charleston. c.e.o. and executive director tom cochran. and ladies and gentlemen, our friend from the white house, valerie jerod. my friends, it is a great honor for me to introduce to you our featured speaker, michelle obama, as first lady has boldly advocated the importance of healthy eating and access to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially for our children. nearly 1/3 of our nation's

children are either overweight or obese, and the rate of obesity for low-incomes, 2-4-year-old children has increased from 12.4% in 1998 to 14.6% in 2008. while there were signs last year that those numbers may be stabilizing, more work needs to be done to ensure the health of the next generation. and mrs. obama is leading the way on this priority. whether it's using her organic vegetable garden to ensure children about helpful locally grown fruit and vegetables, or appearing on the "sesame street" tv show with elmo and the muppets to share her message, mrs. obama is there with a clear vision and a very strong voice.

the u.s. conference of mayors has been championing issues for healthy cities and reducing obesity for the last several years. as we demonstrated during our mayors are leading the way locally to promote access to healthy food alternatives as well as designing cities that encourage physical activities and a healthy lifestyle. we are so happy that the first lady of the united states has taken up this cause and is providing the national leadership that is desperately needed. mrs. obama, the nation's mayor stand ready to work with you to secure the future of our children. mayors and invited guests, i present to you the first lady of the united states, mrs. michelle obama. . applause]

>> thank you. thank you so much and good afternoon to everyone. it is just a pleasure to welcome all of you to my new home, washington, today for this year president winter meeting. thank you, mayor krautz for that very wonderful and kind introduction and congrats on becoming president of this outstanding organization. and i know you're going to do a great job. i see my friend secretary chu over here and i want to take

time to recognize him for his outstanding leadership at the department of energy. [applause] uz my partner in quizzing kids. he was my pat sajak -- no, you were my vana white. [laughter] >> i'd also like to thank my hometown mayor, mayor daley. it's wonderful to see you. as well as mayor joe reilly who is the past president. and most of all, i want to thank all of you for your extraordinary work during every day in the cities that you lead across this country. as some of you know, one of my first jobs was in a mayor's

office working for this gentleman, mayor daley out in chicago. and that experience gave me the opportunity to see firsthand the kind of challenges that you all face and whether it's handling a crisis in one of your schools or dealing with cost overruns and street paving or planning for an upcoming snowstorm, you have to be prepared for anything and everything, and i've seen that. and it's not like any of you catch a break when you leave the office, whether it's at church or the grocery store or the friday night football game, i know that people do not hesitate to come and tell you about the problems they're having and exactly what you need to be doing better. and they never hold back, right? and there's a reason for that. it's because you all govern where people feel it the most. you see people struggles up close and personal.

and what you see on the ground is often the first indicator of what's happening on a national level. you're the first to see the impacts of a struggling economy in the lines at your unemployment offices. you're the first to know that crime rates are rising when you get those arrest reports from your police force at the end of each month. you're the first to get a sense of job losses when c.e.o.'s tell you they've decided to locate their operations overseas rather than in your hometown. and the same is true for issues affecting the physical and mental health of the people that you serve. and that's one of the reasons why i wanted to come to talk to you today about a problem that's of great concern of me and i know to all of you. and i know that it's one that many of you are seeing and hearing about every day in your communities and that is the epidemic of childhood obesity in america today. as you know, over the last year my first year in the white house, i've been thinking,

reading, and speaking a lot about this issue, but the statistics still never fail to take my breath away. mayor krautz pointed out nearly 1/3 of children in america are overweight or obese. that's one in three children. and 1/3 of all children today will eventually suffer from diabetes. and in the african-american and latino communities, that number goes up to almost half. so it's not surprising a study published just this month obesity can now be even a greater threat to america's health than smoking. in fact, medical experts are predicting this generation is on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. obesity is also one of the biggest threats to the american economy. if we continue on our current path in just 10 years, nearly 50% of all americans will be

obese, not just overweight, they will be obese. so now let's just think about how much we'll be spending on health care to treat obesity related conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. think about all the missed days of work and decreased productivity that we're going to see as a result. and think about what this means for our overall quality of life or how people are going to feel when they wake up in the morning, whether they can make it through a day of work, whether they can do something as simple as walk to the store, play ball with their kids and their grandkids. and this isn't some far offutt problem that we're dealing with, many of you are already seeing some of the costs and consequences in the cities and towns that you live. you see how kids in your school are struggling, some of them sitting on the sidelines unable to keep up with their

classmates, visiting the school nurse with weight related health problems. you see it in your clinics, in your emergency rooms and waiting rooms overflowing with folks suffering from preventable obesity related problems from asthma to high bloop -- to high blood pressure to diabetes. one mayor told us eno beesity can affect economic development and job creation because c.e.o.'s and entrepreneurs worrying about high employee health care costs are sometimes reluctant to set up shops in areas with high obesity rates. and none of us wants this kind of future for our kids or for our country. and i know that there are a lot of parents out there that are worried about this issue right now. they desperately want to do what's right. they desperately want to make responsible, healthy decisions for their kids but too often the realities of modern life make you feel like the deck is

stacked against them. many parents tell me that they want to prepare healthy food for their kids, but there aren't any supermarkets where they can find fresh produce in their area. or they tell me they're tight on money and healthy foods seem too expensive. or they're tight on time, working long hours, two o three jobs so they can't pull off those home cooked meals around the dinner table that they so long to have. they tell me they want their kids to be physically active but some of their schools have cut gym classes and recess and they have seen cuts to sports, after school recreation programs in their communities, too. and the days of those tight-knit neighborhoods where you could send kids out to play and tell them don't come back until dinner, remember those? well, for many folks those days are long gone. those communities don't exist.

so many kids wind up spending their afternoons sitting in front of the tv or playing video games. in fact, a study released today by the kaiser family foundation found the average young person in america spends more than 7 1/2 hours a day using some kind of media device. and sometimes parents, they just don't have the information they need to make decisions that they feel good about. they're inundated with news reports filled with conflicting information and food labels filled with ingredients they can't even pronounce, let alone know whether those ingredients are healthy. so really with all the changes that we've seen in our society, families having less time together, kids having fewer opportunities to be physically active, the rise of fast food, it's no wonder childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. and believe me, i know how stressful it can be for parents

to contend with these forces. now, my current life, i am incredibly blessed with more help and support than i could ever have imagined. but i didn't always live in the white house. [laughter] >> and it wasn't that long ago i was juggling a full-time job with the around-the-clock role of being a mom. and there were plenty of times after a long day at work and the fridge was empty and the kids were hungry that ordering a pizza was the easiest thing or getting to the drive-through and debt -- getting a burger was cheap and quick. and i wasn't always aware of how the calories and fat and some of the processed foods i was buying were adding up. and it got to the point where a pediatrician had to tap me on the shoulder and say, you know, you might want to consider changing some -- making some changes in your family's diet. so we know that families could use a little help. but we also know that this

isn't a problem that can be solved from on high. this isn't something that will be fixed by just a bill in congress or an executive order by the president. and i know that the last thing all of you all need right now is a bunch of commands from washington or a ton of red tape that makes it hard for you to get anything done at all. ultimately, it's going to take all of us. businesses and nonprofits, community centers and health centers, teachers and faith leaders, coaches, teachers, and particularly all of you. our nation's mayors, all working together to help families make common sense changes so our kids can get and stay healthy. now, i know that with the economy the way it is, a lot of folks are feeling stretched pretty thin right now and that's particularly true for all of you as you've had to make budget cutbacks that lead to all kinds of impossible choices and wrenching tradeoffs

and there will be some people who might ask you, how on earth can you spend money on something like healthy school lunches when we've got overcrowded classrooms and outdated text books to worry about? or how can you worry about building parks and sidewalks and bike paths when we can barely afford to keep the community health center open. and these are fair questions. but when you step back and think about it, you realize that in the end, they're really false choices. we've all heard from teachers and principals if kids don't have the nutrition they need to stay alert and focused in class, even the best text books in the world aren't going to help them learn. and we've heard from doctors and public health officials that if kids don't have safe places to play right now, then a few years from now that community health center will be even more crowded and even more of a strain on your budget. ultimately folks like you know that leadership is about having the foresight and the courage

to make those sacrifices and investments in the short run that pay big dividends. often paying for themselves many times over in the long run. and that is precisely what happens when we undertake smart, strategic efforts to help our kids lead active healthy lives right from the beginning. that's why mayor robert kluck from arlington, texas, also also is a doctor, by the way, is working to get kids more active and giving pedometers at the end of the school year so kids can keep track of their steps over the summer and why the mayor heiman is building walkways and bike ways that will connect schools and neighborhoods. mayor elaine walker of bowling green, kentucky launched a website to encourage residents to exercise, helping them find parks and trail maps and information on upcoming bike

rides and runs. mayor ryback brought in farmers markets to introduce access to fresh produce. mayor sertatoni of massachusetts created a method to fight obesity by promoting restaurants who have agreed to offer low-fat menu options in smaller portions. and he and his staff view every decision they make, every project that they manage as an opportunity to take action for the health of sommerville citizens. and then there's mayor mick cornette who challenged the people of oklahoma city to lose a million pounds and created a website, the cityisgoingonadiet.com where people can track the weight loss and share their personal stories and tips with other. and so far i've heard 40,000

people have signed up and together they've lost more than half a million pounds. that's pretty amazing. [applause] >> i'm pleased the c.d.c. is now offering grants to local health departments to fund more initiatives like these all across america. and we're going to be announcing the recipients of next month's grants. and i hope that many of you have applied. i also want to take this time to recognize the u.s. conference of mayors for your leadership in supporting these efforts as well, including publishing an excellent guide for mayors on how to fight childhood obesity in their cities and towns. see, it makes sense this organization composed of mayors across the political spectrum would take the lead on this issue because like much of what you all do each day in your towns and cities, this isn't a partisan issue, this has nothing to do with whether you're a democrat or a

republican or a liberal or conservative. it's about the kind of future that we want for our kids. and it's about whether we're willing to use both our policies and our bully pulpits to build that future. that's what mayor cornette did when he started talking about the problem of obesity and then lost 40 pounds himself to get down to his target weight. and the people of his city took notice. i was told that now when he goes to a restaurant, everyone watches what he orders. i can relate. [laughter] >> and a reporter quoted one of his constituents saying, when the mayor pushes you to lose weight, that says something. and that's the kind of impact that each of you can have. and many of you already are having. that is the power that raising awareness and setting an example yourself can have on an

entire city or town, and that's why -- what i hope to do during my time as first lady. that's why next month i'm going to be launching a major initiative or movement on childhood obesity that mobilizes the combined resources of the federal government to work with partners across the country, including mayors like all of you and others in the foundation business and nonprofit sectors. the idea behind the effort is simple. put in common sense -- put in place common sense initiatives and solutions that empower families and communities to make healthy decisions for their kids, and that includes increasing the number of healthy schools where kids have access to nutritious food, that includes providing more opportunities for kids to be physically active, ensuring that affordable, healthy food is available in more and more communities, and giving parents the information they need to make good choices for

themselves and their families. and going forward, i really want to hear more from all of you about this effort. we're going to need your ideas and your input. we want to hear your thoughts about which strategies and programs really work on the ground and which ones don't. and we're looking to you to be leaders on the front lines of this effort all across the country. in the end, i know that achieving all of this isn't going to be easy and it definitely won't be quick, this isn't the kind of problem that can be solved in one year or even in one administration, but make no mistake about it, this is a problem that can be solved, and we don't need to wait for some new invention or discovery to make this happen. this doesn't require fancy tools or technology. we have everything we need right now. we have the information, we have the ideas, and we have the desire to start solving

america's childhood obesity problem. the only question is whether we have the will. are we willing to work across party lines to give our kids a healthy future? are we willing to change our own habits as we work to change theirs? are we willing to make every decision about our schools, communities, and cities with the health and well-being of our children in mind? in the end, are we willing to put our kids first? and i'm here today because i think we are. because i think we all know exactly what's at stake if we don't do this. what i think about when i tuck my little girls in at bed at night, how i want them to be happy and healthy, and i want them to have every chance to follow their aspirations and ambitions. i want them to have the tools they need to succeed in life and that's not just education and opportunities, but the physical and emotional strength

to seize those opportunities. i want them to be able to engage in life with a level of energy and endurance and focus because we all know they're going to need that to meet the challenges they're going to face along the way. and i want them to have the blessing that my husband and i have and that my mother has of being there to see their own children and grandchildren grow up. and god willing, their great grandchildren, too. that's what i want for my girls. and that's what i want for every single child in this country. so i look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead, to work together to help give our kids a chance. thank you all so much. [applause]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> here's a look at our schedule. coming up next, state of the state addresses from south carolina mark sanford and missouri governor jay nixon. after that the northern virginia couple known as the white house party crashers invoke the fifth amendment in a hearing looking at last year's security breach. and later another chance to hear remarks of first lady michelle obama on preventing childhood obesity.

>> and on washington journal, a look at health care legislation with byron york of "the washington companier" and christopher hayes of "the nation." also, a look at the american red cross' haitian relief efforts with suzy defrancis of the american red cross. then we'll talk with glen somasey on the future of guantanamo bay detainees, live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. >> abigail adams had to remind john adams to rerp the ladies when creating a new government, dolly madison had to encourage her once shy husband james. this weekend on "afterwards" the intimate lives of the founding fathers. thomas fleming profiles the women who played a central part in creating our country. "after words" part of this nation's book tv on c-span 2. >> up next south carolina

governor mark sanford delivers his state of the state address and braised lawmakers on work on the bills and also apologized on his extra marital affairs. from columbia, this is close to an hour. >> sergeant. >> the joint assembly will please come to order. let us stand and welcome our esteemed governor, governor marshall sanford. >> good to see you. how are you? how are you feeling? nice to see you. good to see you. how are you? >> we were worried you weren't coming. >> i wouldn't miss it. you all right? see you in charleston. doing all right. how are you? good to see you, sir. happy birthday, indeed.

doing all right? nice to see you. how are you? good to see you, sir. doing all right? how are you? good to see you. yes, sir. >> how are you doing? >> good to see you. >> good to see you. >> good luck to you sir. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> good to see you, sir. how are you? good to see you? >> how are you doing? hi, y'all. >> well, hey guys. >> how are you? good to see you, sir. yes, sir. how are you? good to see you. how are you? >> members and guests, please be seated.

>> this joint assembly is convened for the purpose of the presentation of the governor's state of the state address. it's my pleasure to introduce the honorable marshall clement sanford, governor of the great state of south carolina. [applause] >> thank you, sir. >> thank you very much. >> mr. speaker, mr. president, ladies and gentlemen of the general assembly, constitutional officers and my fellow south carolinaians. it's an honor to be here to deliver my view on the state of the first.

but first i'd ask we pay tribute to those fighting in the middle east and afghanistan this past year. their deaths are a reminder to every one of us on how short and fragile life can be and beg of us that larger question of what are we doing both to honor their sacrifice and to live the gift of life that each one of us has been granted? their service is also a reminder to every one of us, particularly in these trying economic times of how important it is that we look for ways to serve others. there are little things here that we can do that can make a big difference. as, for instance, this year, as one of their initiatives at seacoast church, they decided to make a difference in a community in kenya where in one of their biggest obstacles to life was that which we take for granted, clean water. each member of the congregation was given what looked to be a bottle of empty water and the challenge to empty it and to refill it with coins simply saved by foregoing soft drinks

and coffee over the couple of weeks leading up to christmas. and 50 cents here and 75 cents there doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice but cumulatively it enabled that search to provide five water purification machines that ultimately would save 15,000 people or provide water for 15,000 people there in central africa. or take it more locally what wayne fields and his team at the oliver gospel mission are doing in the lives of homeless people a couple of blocks from where we are right now. if every person volunteered just one day a month it would dwarf anything the government might do in the way of social service. so here in the new year, let's recognize that many families across our state and across this nation are indeed hurting in these particular economic times, that there is a lot of need out there, in some cases, i mean unimaginable levels of need as we see the tragedy of

haiti unfolding. and it all begs one simple question, can we follow these soldiers' examples in looking for ways to serve. in fact, under the category of service for men and women in this chamber, representative ted pitts is bound for afghanistan. his wife christina and his father ed are here with us, and i would ask that you not only offer a round of applause for his service to our country, but that you match it with a prayer for his safety and if you might, ed and christina, would you all stand and be recognized? >> nineally -- finally, the fact that each of the soldiers

i alluded to earlier died in service to their country is once again a reminder that freedom isn't free. and this year's list of heroes goes as follows, and out of a point of reference not to become episcopalian to you but if you might stand as i read these names, i would appreciate it. private first class jason watson. staff sergeant ralph patrell. corporal ryan mcgee, specialist abraham wheeler iii, lance corporal christopher folks, specialist demeetous floyd, gary guts jr., private first class jerry witson. thank you for doing that. i appreciate that. while on this topic of thanking -- i historically thank the state worker, someone in the private sector and oftentimes the first lady, ask them to stand and be recognized for their different contributions

but tonight what i would like to do for one last time is to continue that tradition. first i'd like to recognize a state worker who is a representative of so many who do their work without recognition or praise. barry franco works down at trident tech and will be part of the program that trains workers at the boeing facility in north charleston. ened i would ask that you join me in recognizing and thanking him for that important work and frankly for representing so ably all state workers across the state. barry, if you would stand and be recognized, i would appreciate it. >> we've also been joined by maxine white, an artist in the upstate and a reminder of the creative talents and the innovation found in the private

sector. she reminds me of the ways in which every one of us south karelinians can make a difference if we so choose. south care lineians -- south carolinians can make a difference if we so choose. maxine, would you stand and be recognized as well. >> and finally, if i might, i would single out the first lady, not as i did last year in recognizing what she had done in saving the taxpayers money at the warehouse and the mansion, but in her truly phenomenal grace that she showed the world and the state in the storm that i brought to our family and to the state at large. and here in her absence, would

you give her a round of applause as well. [applause] >> now, never losing the perspective of the taxpayer, let me underscore that some of those -- the savings jenny created back at the wearing house, the mansion and lace house, is a reminder to every one of us at how we can follow the lead of working south carolinians in finding creative ways of doing more with less. doing more with less is what families across our state are indeed doing every day. it is something that is a part of their lives. and i would ask each one of us in government to look for ways to honor those daily decisions that are being made by the people who pay for government.

so with all that being said, the state of our state is that we have both enormous challenges and opportunities before us. our economic challenges are in some ways historic in nature. but with every great challenge in life comes the opportunity, and the opportunity in this moment is that some changes are possible in these tough economic times that wouldn't be possible in good times. i mean, think about it. few companies, few businesses, few nations, few states, few people change until they have to. we have an environment for change that we have not seen in the seven years that i've been here with you. and some things are going to change by virtue of the world economy whether we like them or not, but the question in much of this is whether or not we're going to make the change or change is simply going to happen to us. and it's my contention that for the sake of future generations, we are to be as deliberate as possible in making changes that we believe will include the people of south carolina.

this also brings me to the situation that i created with the events of the summer. let me address it one last time. after this speech, those of you who have grown weary of my apologizing can rest easy because i won't do it again. but given what happened and given that this is my first state of the state since then, i am compelled to say that i'm sorry one more time for the situation that i created and for the way that i put every one of you in this room in a bad spot. i disappointed you, i disappointed my family, i disappointed many across this state and across this nation. i could go down a seemingly unending his of disappointments but you know what it means? it means that i'm weak and at times all too human. it means that i can only be saved by god's grace and i get that now in ways that i never have p. the grace of the people of this state has been none other than overwhelming and to me it has indeed been a reflection of god's grace.

you know, people would come up to me and say, you know, mark, you really messed up. but sooner or later in life we all do. and the question is, how do you get back up? and they would say you messed up but it doesn't take away from so many of the good things that this administration has done over these last seven years, you get back up and you finish strong. and with god's help, that is precisely what i intend to do. and so it is my hope and my prayer that we can work together this year to make a positive difference in people's lives. the opportunity in all this is that i get it in ways that i never have, this larger notion of the fact that i'm not in charge. and these thoughts go to larger articles of faith that at some point are worth the private conversation. i mean, i was raised to strive and push and in the world of politics i thought to a great degree that was what determines success, how hard i worked, how hard i pushed. and yet i don't think that

anymore. that is not license not to show up and do our part, but it is recognition of both higher powers and the fact that in politics what will determine success is more than anything not determined by what you do or what i do, but in what the people do. if their voice isn't loud on an issue, pushing at times as i have at times guarantees newton's third law of motion which says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. and we have all seen plenty of that movie over the last couple years. so what i pledge to do is work more ernestly in simply asking the people of our state to ask for the changes that i'm suggesting this year. i ask that the people of south carolina make a loud but respectful noise for change. and i need to be a better messenger because if the people push for these changes and were not too tone deaf in hearing,

they'll happen. and if they don't, they won't. as the people need to do their part, we need to do ours. not only in my conversations with the public but in my work with you. i need to be a humble messenger and take joy in the fact that ourmaker can use imperfect people in all walks of life. this very imperfection underscores both the grace of others and the grace of god, and though at times we may try and cover it or forget it, the imperfections of any of us underscore the degree to which we really are of the people and by the people and it's my hope and prayer this year that we will be for the people in the results that we produce. folks, i've been told they could care less about the ability to point out the faults and problems in each other's lives, what they really care with are fixing problems that impact their lives. so it is with that spirit that i hope that we can come together. it doesn't mean we won't have

our differences. i mean, we always will given that we come from different political parties and different and political ideologies and different parts of the state, but we can bridge these differences by committing to work alongside each other, to make meaningful changes in this legislative session. and towards that end we decided to narrow our focus to that which we believed was specific and measurable and achievable in this legislative term. i still have strong opinions on the need to do something about unfunded liabilities that the state level or the need for school choice or the need to cap higher education costs more. but in this final year, we wanted to suggest just a few things in the hope that this greater focus by me and by you and by the people more greatly ensures their passage. accordingly, could we make this the year that we add just a couple tools to the tool kit of economic development and jobs, that we put in place spending limits so we avoid otherwise inevitable harm to those who

both pay for government and those who serve by it. and finally, can we make just three changes to the structure of our government that i believe will pay tremendous dividends over time in both the efficiency and the effectiveness of the south carolina government that the people own. you know, boeing's announcement this fall was indeed great news for the 3,800 permanent jobs, the 2,000 construction jobs, the supply and support jobs that will come with it, it is the single largest economic development announcement in south carolina history and it's actually been named the economic deal of the year in the country. it is again as has been referenced, an example of the way that we can work together and produce extraordinary results when we do so. it is interesting to look at the way that folks at the private sector and the government levels work collaboratively on this project and did a great job doing so. but as great as those efforts were, if the sole conditions

for the germenation of the business they would plant here in south carolina were not better than the other choices available to them, they wouldn't have come here. it's a reminder of how every one of us need to work to improve the business solutions of this state each year and the item we believe is most immediately before us and long overdue is reform the employment security commission. this change is a tool we could add to the tool kit of job growth and economic development in south carolina this year. the employment security commission is yet another separate island of government in south carolina and in some ways seems accountable to no one, as their trust fund has literally bled from a $3500 million balance to a negative $800 million balance. if nothing is done here, taxes are going to go up on every large mid size or small business in south carolina, and i don't believe a tax increase would be good for job creation in the state of south carolina.

i'm joined in that belief by kenny bingham and greg ryberg and nickie sessler and others and i thank these men for leading the charge on e.n.c. funds this year and because of their efforts the senate will be taking up e.n.c. reform and i thank leaders in the senate for taking that step come tomorrow. separate islands of government are not only bad for the taxpayer and harmful to the business conditions of our state, they also in this case hurt those searching for a job. you know, by linking the employment security commission to the efforts of the department of congress, the e.s.c. would move in too many ways simply processing claims for those unemployed to those more actively coordinating with the department of commerce and others to connect those seeking a job with job opportunities in this state. we continue to believe there are other things we could do to improve the economy like raising our lowest in the nation's cigarette tax and

swapping it with equal dollar cut to the corporate income tax. the net effect of the change that we have produced here is south carolina's ranking on the state business tax climate index would move from 25th in the nation to sixth in the united states of america. .

i would ask that joe taylor stand and be recognized. you are shaking your head, but you have got to stand and be recognized, if you would. [applause] now, speaking of boeing's landing in charleston, we are also joined by the president and general manager of final assembly and delivery for boeing. i would ask that everybody in this chamber rise to give marco

a warm south carolina welcome for the difference boeing will make in people's lives as they produce a world class product called the green liner. would you stand and be recognized? [applause] if i might, could i put one more person on the spot? proper protocol would be, since you're standing beside me, to recognize all you did for me legislatively in this effort. i see you in the corner over there. would you stand and be recognized for everything you did in making this happen? [applause]

ok. that was fun. getting back to my legislative list, can we make this the year that we get off the spending and budget roller-coaster? we ask that this body and that spending limits. it measures aimed in that direction have passed the house a couple of times and once was awfully close on the senate side. constitutional change is the most lasting way to enact spending limits. i applaud those efforts. we are asking for your passage of a bill that would allocate any thing beyond down to paying down our deficit. the importance of addressing spending issues, i do not think

they can be underscored enough. it is a reason i got into politics. my convictions on this front at times get old. history has consistently shown how government suspended their way into oblivion and into real pain for the people they supposedly represent. i would simply ask that you look at what we've posed in our budget because i think it is a starting point. on limits, if your persuasion is from the right, they make sense for the way they protect the taxpayer in good times. they help money from going into wants and wishes rather than needs with $1.5 billion of new money coming into our state as it did a couple years ago. if your persuasion is from the left, this makes sense for the way it helps us to avoid cutting past muscle and into bone when

times are not as good. financial restrain is impossible without them. as i have said repeatedly at a rotary club talks across the state this fall, it is as if we have been having parallel universe conversations over the last seven years at budget times, much like what was described in "men are from mars and women are from venus." i would point out that our spending is not sustainable. i pointed it out in 1000 other places. last year, i did not have a crystal ball and economic trends. i heard from a lot of south carolinian is on the common- sense principles that they believe should apply to government. the trees do not grow to the sky. winter follows summer. as a nation, and as a state, too many have forgotten the simple

notion for a long time. the unsustainable marks we are on in terms of building up that has come to an end. we're going to face a tremendous deal leveraging in the state and the nation. i said then and i still believe there is no way to avoid this reality. last year, i said anybody who said this economic slowdown will be short-lived was missing what i was hearing across the state. that is that people believe that things are tough and sometimes they get worse before they get better. if you look at how high the forest of debt has grown over the last 20 years, you will say it is something we need to do something about. unfortunately, i have been proven right on this notion of the money we are spending not being sustainable. in fairness of -- to everyone of you as legislators, that was not the decision most immediately

before u.s. budget time. i say this because the reality of any dollar that comes into the political system is not whether it will be spent, but where it will be spent. with their debt spending of the dollar is sustainable are not becomes a purely intellectual exercise at budget time when the question before each one of you is, do what but for my district and some of that money coming to the people i represent, or do i simply let others spend money? i don't begrudge anyone of you for doing that, which you were elected to do come in terms of trying to watch out for the people of your district. if we do nothing, we will be left the impasse we have found ourselves at for seven years. future governors who choose to hold the line on spending will burn large amounts of political capital and bridges in the process, or they might punt on the issue, as some have done, with results for the taxpayer.

doing nothing will leave every one of you in a less than ideal position of voting for spending that you know is unsustainable and the only way getting that -- and as the only way of getting that money back to your district. we have seen a peaks and valleys approach to spending in the state. doing nothing locks in the spending tracked that will almost guarantee future tax increases. people are hurting and they expect action to be taken. what we do in addressing the issue is very important for the way that unsustainable spending can bring even greater harm to the jobs and the economy prospects of the state. spending money we don't have will never be the key to economic prosperity. this is true of bailout of washington as it is true of our own approach to spending. we have a second opportunity in these trying times, and that is to pass spending limits. i don't know when it will never

happen if it does not happen in this kind of budget year. i join with thousands of others across the state in asking that you pass meaningful and real spending limits this year. if you are out there listening, i would ask that you make a respectful but loud noise for changed in this notion of spending limits. while on the topic of spending, i will say there is one other thing we need to do. that is to make our voices heard in washington. everyone knows my opinion on the fallacy of stimulus money and my belief that lasting jobs and economic growth can never come from a government bailout. i want to restate my beliefs on how damaging those efforts are to future generations, the american dollar, and the long- term viability of the south carolina and american economy. debts are spiraling out of control in washington, d.c.

health care reform will bring immediate damages bolts to the state and this nation. in south carolina alone, it would expand medicaid rolls by over 500,000 people. it would wind up costing taxpayers in the state more than $1 billion over the next 10 years. it would mean that medicaid would grow to be almost 40% of our budget and almost once was three of the population of south carolina would be on medicaid itself. all this means that unless people across our state really make their voice heard, significant cuts to other parts of government or substantial raises in taxes are coming our way. if you are to take just one pearl of wisdom from this talk, and you are out there listening, it is that i ask you make your voice heard, whether in washington or south carolina, in improving the environment for

jobs, growth, and the economy. in this last year of office, i backed away from some of our more ambitious proposals on government structure. by extension, the way things are done in the columbia. we are asking for just 3 changes that we believe are specific and measurable and achievable in this term in moving us toward a more balanced and thereby more efficient and effective state government. it is important to remember that soccer lot of government costs about 140% the national average. our structure leads in my two ways to this cause and it is something that hurts businesses and job prospects. i believe it hurts the taxpayer. three things that we believe would move us in a different direction our department administration, having the governor and lieutenant governor run together on a ticket, and along the people to decide whether a whole host of constitutional officer should be elected or appointed.

last year, and a bill passed in the house unanimously but stalled in the senate. its premise is that we do not need to be the only state in the country that does not allow its governor to administer the laws that are administered by the other 49 governors in the united states of america. you would not be giving this power to me. i am gone in 11 months. please give this power to whoever follows me, whether they're republican or democrat, male or female, give them the tools by which to succeed or fail and then hold them accountable. will you put the governor and lieutenant governor together as a team? it makes no sense to have a governor elected by the people, and their first check is not the judicial branch of government, but the lieutenant governor, who could be of the opposite political party and opposite political situation. would it make any sense to have

the president and vice-president elected with opposing agendas, wanting to go in the opposite direction? i don't believe it would. i respectfully ask that to make this change. can we let the people of south carolina decide on whether a whole host of constitutional officers should be appointed or elected? we are dealing state that elects them in general. we're not asking that you take a position for or against electing that position. all we are asking is that you let the people decide. we are asking, do what was done at the time of lottery, when many said they were opposed to lotteries, but they believed it was such an important issue that it ought to be decided by the people of south carolina. it is our contention that if it can be good enough for lottery, it can be good enough for the taxpayers chance to make decisions on the constitutional framework of the government may own. that is particularly the case

for south carolina. when the farmer was handed to us in the 1800's based on the fear of black men in politics, it was both wrong and outdated. the need to change these truths have been recognized by democrats along with republicans. i think it is vital we do something this year about changing these truths. these are simple requests of this legislative term. i ask for your work on the passage and i hope that you will call on me to do anything in your respective districts that might help toward that end. i would say i am tempted to call it quits here, but has this is my last state of the state, let me add a few other words of thanks. together, we have made some changes over the last seven years that will make and have made a difference in people's lives. when i ran for office eight

years ago, i pledged to make softer line on better place to call home. what this work is never done and never complete in the global competition for jobs and capital, we have made changes in each of the area's top about in that now-distant campaign. we talked about the need to improve a chance for a job, the chance to better what we brought home and build a life or family, how even a job was a key to using one's talent and how important it was each year we do things to make our business more competitive. that is why i would say i thank you for passing the first step to the marginal income-tax rate in south carolina's history. as a result of that, $292 million have already stayed in the hands of small business people that would have gone to government. it has made a difference in how the small business could add a job or even survive, frankly, in

these tough economic times. i would ask that you offer a round of applause to the speaker and senator, who were instrumental in this passage, and would you all stand up, bobby, if i could, stand up again. jim battle? where is jim battle? [applause] thank you for doing what you all did on that project. i was trying to recognize jim battle as well because he worked hard on that one. i thank you for passing the largest recurring tax cut in south carolina history. $260 million of state in the hands of taxpayers. for the difference this will make in people's lives, if you would not mind, would you give the speaker and the senator round of applause?

all of you all in the house and senate to instrumental in passing that vital change to people's pocketbooks, would you give yourselves a round of applause on that one? [applause] i thank you for passing the first total reform bill of its kind. that bill took a soft a list of judicial hellholes. it is instrumental to better in the business climate and the chances for jobs. i ask that you recognize senator larry martin and harry kekoe. stand up and be recognized. thank you. [applause] i thank you for passing the state's first reforms to worker compensation system. a change like that one is just the kind of thing that a business from afar looking at south carolina takes into consideration. in addition to thinking larry and harry, scott richardson was a senator back then.

would you stand and be recognized on that one along with larry and harry? come on. [applause] i think you for passing things like the small business health care bill. i would like to thank the senators and the representative for making that will happen. are you tired of standing up? here's the interesting thing. the byproduct of these changes is evident in the record setting $4 billion of capital investment last year, which was matched by $4 billion of the best met the year before, which was matched by $19 billion invested in our state since 2003, or the more than 64,000 more people working today than there were when this administration started in 2003.

these numbers are not where we would like them to be at times, but we ranked 14th in the united states of america in employment growth and ninth in the nation in labor force growth. a lot of people are voting with their feet and leaving the northeast or upper midwest and coming to south carolina to seek opportunity. it is evident in the decisions of companies like boeing and google and starbucks to put down roots in south carolina. it is evident in the expansion of bmw or aviation. it is obvious in the efforts of unsung heroes of small businesses. it is evident in a lot of different fronts. we talk about change in the way columbia works. we have reached -- we have not reached the promised land on record like to land, but we have made changes. for these efforts, i thank you.

it too many boats were never recorded in these chambers and there can be no accountability without transparency. niki hallie and nathan valentine in the house and others in the senate led efforts to change this from the idea that if something was important to be voted about to be voted on, it was important enough to be recorded. would you give a round of applause to them for spearheading that effort? c'mon, stand up. [applause] we now have online transparency to allow a taxpayer to see more directly how their money is being spent in state government. would you give the comptroller general round of applause? he may not be here. he is watching a tv.

i will give him a round of applause on that one. [applause] we ended the competitive grants program. i will leave that one alone. there was a lot of fussing and fighting and a court decision to boot, but there were meaningful steps in opening up our political process and making it more accountable to the taxpayer and i thank you for what you did here. when the ethics committee said it could not be done in 2005, we found a way to begin online disclosure so citizens could better see where money was coming from and going to in campaigns. we passed campaign finance reform. it had been vetoed twice. its passage ended the wild west practice of unlimited amounts of money going to a political party or to a political caucus. i think jim harrison and glenn mcconnell once again for the

reference. thank you for what you did on that one. can you give them a round of applause? i know you're getting tired of that. [applause] i would thank you for passing steps toward improving our governmental structure that yield better results. think about this. the department of transportation had not changed since 1919. changes their means that more money will go to the places that need rather than places where there are fewer cars and more political power. larry groom did a great job on that one. where is a netannett -- where is annette? stand up and be recognized. [applause] you know the dmv story. it is really important to think about the impact on people's lives. we only have so much time here

on earth and you can spend doing something you love or spend it in a dmv line. we lines have gone from on awerage 66 minutes down to 16 minutes. that kind of change matters in directly impacting somebody's life. for what the staff at dmv did in embracing the change, would you give them a round of applause as well? [applause] we talked about improving quality of life. for me and for so many others, this is an important measure in the look and feel of our state. that is why i think -- that is why i take particular pride in the fact that more land has been set aside during this governorship than during any other in south carolina history. 153,000 acres will pay dividends economically in attracting and retaining people in our state

and giving them a glimpse of the splendor that keep so many of us here. i think mr. camps deserves credit for what he did with the country's aged conservation bank. would you stand and be recognized? i appreciate it. [applause] i would say the quality of life begins with life itself. for working to pass dui reforms. over the course of this administration, fatalities due to drinking and driving have decreased by about 1/3, meaning more than 100 people each year are able to continue in this kit called life. that would not have happened without the changes you all made. would you join me in thanking moral smith and david weeks? would you stand for making that important change in people's

lives? stand up. where are the others? [applause] did you know that we pass one of the toughest economic reform bills in the country? it was based on the notion that if you're going to have rules, we all ought to play by those rules. it has made a real difference for families across our state. i will thank jim harrison and glenn mcconnell. some would define quality of life and being able to buy insurance for your house if you live on the coast. when we walk into walmart, we never get the exact price we want. we get a better price than if there was no competition. this bill has allowed the private sector in the marketplace to work. i think not only members of the task force, but niki caylee and

harry ketoe for what they did. do you want to stand again or should we class that you? we will clap at you. we talked about improving education. did we have a fight on this one? as a result of that back and forth on this administration's core belief that every parent ought to have an opportunity to decide what school works best for them and their child, a choice, more has been offered. virtual schools and classrooms allow someone in rural south carolina to get educational expertise from a different corner of south carolina. people worked hard on that one in showed real leadership? -- real leadership. we passed a school bill that was the first of its kind in the nation and i do not believe we would of thought in that bill through. we needed a larger debate on

full-scale choice in education. westies deserves credit for advancing that bill. wes, would you be recognized on that one? [applause] i would say, whether in the additional $2.7 billion that has gone to education above and beyond the level of bonding that came with this administration in 2003 or with the education and economic the the attack that offers a tech prep program for students, or in fitness programs offered as a result of self carolina health, or even in full-scale choice, i know that darrell jackson and a long list of others deserve credit for work here that is making a difference in the minds of students and thereby real difference in people's lives. would you give them a round of applause as well for their work? [applause] i finally said i would watch out

for the taxpayer. i have always believed that money was a close proxy for freedom. freedom, at the end of the day, is what the american political system was designed to perpetuate. it is economic freedom that unleashes the very initiative that drives our economy. it is freedom that empowers us to strive toward a respective dream that defines what the pursuit of happiness means for each of us. when you spend half of your day working just to pay taxes, you are indentured to government for that time. we always thought to get to the heart of what drives taxes. that is what we spend in government. this conviction is the core. at times, i was not as diplomatic as i should have been, but the good news is as a result of all of that fosse and fight, the taxpayer was recognized at the table of our government in ways it would not

have been the case. what is forgot about that chapters the way we face a $155 million unconstitutional deficit. we changed a few minds. we set precedent for the next 100 years on the sanctity of our balanced budget requirement in south carolina. for what you did here, i thank you as well. we're the second state in the nation that offers help savings account for all state workers and state retirees. that health and budget initiative will save millions. the you know that those changes we instituted at the front end of this administration with corrections hatching their own eggs and rolling their own corn for grits and commerce selling jets, millions has been saved and will continue to be saved. could i ask the entire cabinet to stand up and be recognized for all those little things that

you have done over the last seven years in saving the taxpayer money and making a difference on behalf of the taxpayer? would you will stand and be recognized? [applause] of the you know that $110 million has been saved with the proviso that to put into the budget for the preferred drug list, or that we saved $1.8 billion of the last six years in our community long-term care program? i could go doll -- go down a long list of di-you-knows, but i will simply thank each one of you for those little steps that he took over these last seven years to save the taxpayer money. i have always believed that a deal to measure, if you will, of

government is what it spends. it all too often spends at a rate that is unsustainable and far surpasses the taxpayers' ability to keep up. with all those conversations and consternations, what we have seen is a worthwhile end and they have forced many in government to follow the lead of those paying for government in looking for ways to do more with less. this leads to the conclusion that i will ask for legislative changes beyond that which i have already outlined. i will call it quits. let me leave you with two parting thoughts. the first is from our family minister. in the prayer service before my second inaugural, he encouraged me to live like 6-8, live

homily and -- live humbly. i will be trying. i would pass his charge on to reach one of you who bear both the pressures and responsibilities of elected leadership. under the category of life beyond politics, i would ask that you focus on the things that matter most. many of you, if not all of you, are so far ahead of me on this are returning. i heard a story that has helped me in refocusing in the hopes that it might help you to. in early december, i was at the grand opening of a business in lancaster, war i ended up in an amazing conversation with the ceo, who found himself in himself1a of the plane that went down in the hudson river. it lifted off from accordion and a short time after, the captain came on and said they would be

headed back to the airport to land. it was interesting because he sat adjacent to the stewardess and saw no fear in her eyes as he said what he said. another couple minutes go by in the captain comes on, announcing just three words. prepare for impact. he could see the absolute sheer horror in the stewardess' eyes because she knew what it meant. you are fully loaded with fuel and you do not put that plane down on the street. you would be dying in about 45 seconds. in that moment, the whole of his life. flashing by. he said he before had the natural fear of death. in that moment, he was not afraid because he was so near. he talked about the time he had wasted, the time you spent arguing about petty things, about things that did not matter with people who did.

the times he let little things get to him. he said it was the most amazing process of letting go of all of those things in those 45 seconds. in essence, he died to himself those aggravations in the short time he left honor. but he did not die. he likened life to playing in a video game on bonus time, he should not beecher but he was, and therefore he would fully live each way in profoundly positive ways. he would try to make a difference in the lives of those around him and the world large. he would invest in the things that really matter, those things you cannot see, cannot feel, cannot touch, but the things of lasting value. i do not know if i will ever see rick again. i do now i look -- i do know i will be trying to follow his lead. as we work together hero these next 11 months and as we go our different ways after that, i hope you will, too.

if we strive in this direction, it will make a difference in bringing all of us, republicans and democrats, the midlands and the upstate, south carolinian is together to better the lives of people here in our state. that is my hope. that is my prayer. thank you and good night. [applause] >> it was a long time to get there. >> wonderful. >> thank you. [applause]

>> governor, i understand what rick was going through. i have been there. thank you for allowing me to be here. we thank you. we appreciate you being here. i hereby declare this adjourned. [applause] >> terrific, terrific. >> coming up next, another state

of the state address with jay nixon. later, the white house party crashers attend a hearing looking at the security breach. another chance to hear michelle obama on combat in childhood obesity. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> tomorrow, senator john cornin on his party's strategy to increase seats in the 2010 election. he is interviewed by rick klein of abc news and amy walter. "newsmakers" tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern. >> wednesday, president obama delivers his first eight of the union address to congress, laying out his vision of the future of the country and how to deal with issues like an. -- unemployment, health care,

and the wars in iraq and afghanistan. our coverage starts at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. you can listen to the address live on your iphone with the c- span radio app. >> another state of the state address with missouri governor jay nixon. he took office last year and talk about a jobs package. from jefferson city, this is about 50 minutes. >> thank you. thank you. thank you, speaker richard, president pro-tem shields, judges of the supreme court, lt. governor kinder, state

officials, members of the general assembly, and members of my cabinet. welcome, honored guests and my fellow missourians. it is a pleasure to be here and i am blessed to have with me my wife, georgia ann. [applause] and our two sons, and jeremiah and will. [applause] one year ago, as we gathered in this very room, and massive ice storm struck southern missouri. miles of power lines went down, plunging tens of thousands of people into bitter cold and darkness. i will never forget what i saw

in the days and weeks following. everywhere i went, people of every color and creed were joining hands to help their neighbors. they brought blankets and home cooked meals. they came with chain saws and pickup trucks. they turned school gyms and church basements into havens of warmth and safety. they did not ask how anybody vote it. they did not care who was rich or poor. they came together in a crisis because, my friends, that is what the people of missouri do. [applause] that is a powerful lesson for us here tonight.

the worst of times brings out the best in us. when the people of missouri join hands and work together, we can accomplish anything. [applause] that makes me proud of our state, proud to be a miser sourian, and proud to be your governor. my hearts and prayers go out to the people of haiti. there are many ways we can help. i encourage you to go to our website at mo.gov and learn about what you can do. from the moment i took the oath of office, iacocca's my energy on one thing -- i have focused my energy on one thing, turning this economy around. we must keep the jobs we have and create thousands more. we must build a granite foundation for future growth and

we must balance the budget without raising taxes. [applause] not sure we will need a second on that motion. i will review some of the hard- one accomplishments of the year behind this. i will address the challenges ahead of us, highlight the opportunities we must take now to spur job growth, and layout my long-term strategy to create a vibrant future for our state. before i get to the heart of my economic message, i would like to recognize the brave residents and all -- in all branches of our military who have left their families in our care to fight or run the world. with us tonight is specialist

michael thomas, a citizen soldier with the missouri national guard. he was serving with the national guard's agribusiness development team in afghanistan when his convoy was hit by a suicide bomber in march of 2009. as a gunner on his vehicle, specialist thomas sustained a direct hit from the blast. for the sacrifice, he was awarded the purple heart. as commander in chief of the missouri national guard, i commend you. you represent every man and woman who has ever fought for our freedom and liberty in every time and on every field of battle. a specialist thomas, on their behalf, please stand and except the gratitude of your state. and accept -- and accept the gratitude of your state.

[applause] thank you. america's finest right in the heartland. every action we took in 2009 and every action we will take in 2010 is set against a backdrop of global forces that constrain our nation's economy. that is the nature of the complex world we live in. it will not determine missouri's destiny. we will. [applause] our most pressing economic

challenges creating jobs, taking opportunities for growth, and balancing the budget. they are too important to be sidetracked by partisan bickering. that betrayed the trust of the people. we need to take a long view and be wise stewards of the blessings that make missouri so special. our families, our communities, and our god-given natural resources. in everything we do this year, we must put our differences aside and put missouri first. [applause] i am an optimist by nature and nothing i have seen this year has diminished my optimism. my vision of the future is colored by abiding faith in the people of missouri. i want the little girl who cracked the code of cancer to be a product of a missouri school. i want the boy who invents a

clean fuel to heat our homes and power cars to be a native son. i want thousands of missourians using technology we can only dream of today. that is the future i see for missouri. [applause] to reach it, i want missouri to be first in job creation, first in education, first in innovation, first in quality of life, and first in leading this nation to recovery. [applause] everywhere i have travelled in the last 12 months, i have heard the same refrain from businesses large and small.

give us the tools. help us trained workers. we will do the rest. last year, are bipartisan jobs bill help put more of these job tools in place. we ramp up financial incentives for businesses that offer good jobs and health insurance. we focused state resources on targeted, fast track training programs to prepare workforce ready to step into those jobs. let me give you just a few examples of our success. there was expansion here rather than conducting a. there is a huge facility being created to fill prescriptions. the jobs will pay an average of $40,000 per year. a grocery distribution company owned by warren buffett is building a large facility that will create 250 full-time jobs with good wages.

if warren buffett is bullish on missouri, that is good for all of us. [applause] smith electric vehicles is building a new plant in kansas city using our quality jobs incentives, creating 200 jobs and pump millions of dollars into the local economy. the list goes on. while we were helping large employers, we did not forget about small businesses that are in mainstay of the economy. we eliminate the franchise tax for 16,000 small businesses like kelly furniture so they can expand and add jobs. we also start a small business loan program. one of those loans went to a company in eureka to make educational gains. she was worried she could not fill the holiday orders. she used her loan to build up inventory and hire another

employee. please welcome one of the show me state's budding entrepreneurs, beth daniels from eureka. [applause] job creation incentives only succeed if there are trained workers ready to step into those jobs. we upped our investments in training people. last fall, we began implementing are caring for myissourians initiative to prepare people for feels like optometry and dentistry. over the next two years, we will be enrolling at least 1300 additional students in these programs at our colleges and preparing the students to meet our state's critical health care

needs. we also put more money into programs at community colleges to help dislocated workers get back into the job market fast. it is clear our key business incentives and work force investments are bearing forward, but much more needs to be done. that is why my top legislative priority this year is my 2010 jobs plan. it contains three key components. first, we must leverage every tool in tactic to help loyal businesses thrive. second, we must outrun and outfox are rivals to recruit new, high-tech companies to missouri. third, we must train a workforce that is ready to roll and second to none. the first initiative is my loyalty program for businesses already here. they will go to the head of the line for financial incentives to expand payrolls. we will give a bump to

businesses that have been yearlong for than five years. after all, these are the companies who have given generations of missourians steady paychecks. they pay the taxes that built our roads, our schools, and our parks. given the need to create jobs quickly, helping businesses accelerate their growth just might be the smartest investment we can make with the fastest return. [applause] as your governor, i will continue to push hard to recruit new businesses to missouri. make no mistake, i have a competitive streak. that brings me to the second part of my jobs plan. the missouri science and innovation reinvestment act. missouri is already home to 1000 biological science companies. this is an area where we can add muscle to existing strength.

we will reinvest a small part of the taxes paid by existing firms in missouri to recruit new ones. it will create a stable pool of funds to create access to capital and it will help turn scientific breakthroughs into commercial successes. we want our biotech company to grow because that creates more jobs. just as important are the corollaries of that growth. a culture of excellence and collaboration, a forum where brilliant minds find kindred spirits, a hotbed of ideas that sparked an ovation and a nexus of risk and reward where start- ups thrive. symbiotic is a perfect example of how this synergy works to our advantage. it is a global leader in animal health care. a couple of years ago, its president paul hayes decided to move the corporate headquarters from san diego to kansas city.

he says there are five reasons why he brought his business to missouri. i am not guessing the first is the weather. his first is the opportunities for synergy in collaboration with other companies in the booming animal health clinic. second, the proximity to its customers. third, financial incentives from missouri. fourth, missouri's outstanding work ethics. last but not least, a graduate from the class of 1983. all i can say is welcome back and go tigers. [applause] he will help recruit more companies like semiotics to missouri. that is exactly what we want to do. that brings me to the third part of our plan.

it is a focus on missouri's greatest asset, its people. training for tomorrow is a new initiative to train residents for growing fields, like lab techs, nursing aides, surveyors, and mechanics. it gives community colleges the flexibility to have training programs where there is high demand an insurer's there are enough workers to meet that demand. i have proposed a 20% increase in funding for customized training programs tailored to the needs of specific high-tech industries right now. [applause] by matching industry's needs with training programs, more missourians will be able to train more quickly. there is no place where the link between education and employment is stronger. [applause]

i was at the college not long ago when the president there told me if someone wanted work, they should go to the dean's office today. they can sign up for a career training program in alternative energy, health care, or draft and design. if they are willing to give it their all, he will help find them a job. so tonight, i call on you to show that same spirit. let's roll up our sleeves and pass this 2010 jobs plan. [applause] there is another group of people eager for work who have real world experience and first rate training from uncle sam.

i'm talking about our veterans. when i was in iraq and afghanistan last summer, the troops asked me to questions, first, how is pujols doing? second, will there be a job for me when i get home? tonight, i am proud to announce the creation of show me heroes, our new jobs initiative that is just for our veterans. the leader of this effort is of the missouri national guard. he will be calling on employers over the state, telling them about our discipline, dedicated, hard-working veterans. when a job is open, i want a veteran's resume on top of the stack so they get first crack at an interview. [applause]

i am asking every employer in the state to step up and show that missouri hires specialists. [applause] four veterans who are ready to retire, missouri is the first place to book because we are going to continue to phase out the state income tax on military pensions until they are simply $0. [cheers and applause] veterans are not the only ones who can get tax relief this year. we are also helping home buyers, putting $15 million into an effort to give the industry a boost and help more missourians before the american dream. if you want to buy a house in 2010, your state will pick up your property taxes for the first year, up to 1000 to under

$50. we are offering 5000 is in tax relief if you make that house more energy-efficient. this will help put thousands of families in new homes, a jump- start the market come and give our tradesmen the green jobs they so dire lead -- direly need. [applause] in this tough economy, we have to protect missourians from payday loan companies. [applause] hard times are like fertilizer for pay lenders. they pop up overnight like mushrooms. for people caught in a bad situation, maybe they're lost their jobs or their car broke down. -- car broke down, palin ears might seem like a good option. the average pay loan was $290 in missouri at 430% interest.

even at those exorbitant rates, you know how many loans were reported? close to 3 million. missouri laws are not tough enough to help people caught in this downward spiral of debt. we need to pass meaningful paid a loan reform this year. -- meaningful payday loan reform this year. [applause] by any measure, 2009 was a rough year. in one way or another, the downturn hurt everybody's pocketbook. the unemployment rate was under the national average but still too high. a lot of friends and neighbors were out of work. to many lost their homes, farms, and businesses. many saw their be